Kent – United Kingdom
The Kent MBA 2017
(Part-time)
“Passion + perseverance = possibility.”
I am a versatile, committed and self-motivated engineering & product management professional with over 10 years’ combined experience in product management, new product development and design engineering in the manufacturing industry.
I have a proven track record in combining technical knowledge and understanding with strong commercial awareness. My experience includes developing and successfully launching new products, maintaining a global product portfolio, product positioning in different markets, increasing revenues and profitability, managing complex situations and finally, developing and motivating global teams to deliver common objectives.
I am recognised for my strong work ethic, interpersonal communication skills and positive team working attributes.
Experience
During my early days at Cummins Power Systems, I was exposed to a tense board meeting with a key customer in Oman. There was a high likelihood that we were going to lose a large order for generating sets as there were some shortcomings during the witness testing of these units. I was approached by leaders and asked if I would be willing to accompany them to Oman and present the findings and prove that it wasn’t our units that had caused the failures.
I had three days to investigate the problem, understand what had gone wrong, gather the data and prepare a presentation for the customer. During my first international visit with Cummins, I had to present to a diverse panel of 22 people which included project managers, electrical and mechanical engineers, contractors, sales and marketing staff, most of them with over 20 years’ experience in the industry. My ultimate goal was to persuade them to revisit our plant to redo the witness test as the issues were not related to the units.
The material was very well received and resulted in us winning that order of approximately $10m. I received a recognition award for my professionalism and going above and beyond what was required of me at such short notice. Personally, this was a significant achievement especially that early in my career.
I am a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and have completed three Green Belt projects with Cummins with a PBIT saving of approximately £3m per year.
Last year, I was promoted to lead Global G-Drive Product Manager. This means being responsible for global marketing (including North America) for a $800m+ business portfolio to help increase market share in a highly competitive power generation market. This was a significant step up for me as it gave me full global ownership of the entire diesel and gas G-Drive product line.
Aspirations
My long-term aspiration is to achieve a senior managerial role in a large global and diverse corporation. My ultimate aim is to be one of those who significantly advance such a corporation.
Some of the key characteristics of the Executive MBA from Kent Business school which stood out for me personally were the diverse mix of the class, the international focus, the quality of the faculty and last but not least, was the proximity of the University to my house. It is a pleasant ten minutes’ walk from my house which is a perfect opportunity to pursue further education without compromising on my busy work life.
In order to advance from my current position as a Global Product Manager to a senior leadership role, I have realised that I need to grow in three areas: International perspective and networking, management theory and hands-on experience. Having attended the MBA course briefing and after speaking with the alumni from the school, I am convinced that a Kent Business School Executive MBA is the best way to get all three.
Advice
My advice would be to draw out a short-term and long-term plan but in pencil, as it will change! Don’t get obsessed with looking for success. If you do something you love and you do it to the best of your ability, success will find you.
Enjoy the ride, learn new skills, meet diverse people, make good friends, don’t take anything personally, and don’t give up. Passion + perseverance = possibility.
To find out more and apply for the Kent MBA at Kent Business School, visit The Kent MBA webpage.